Running Out of Time
by Sapphire5
Summary: Finished. Keith and Lance see something strange streaking through the early morning sky while on patrol. They run it to ground in the desert and trap it, but the tables are soon turned. The rest of the Voltron Force must rescue them before it's too late. Setting: DotU. KAEX Gift Exchange 2016 **I think the formatting issues are fixed. Sapphire**
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: _Voltron: Defender of the Universe_ and its many incarnations are the property of World Event Productions and Toei Animation. All affiliated characters, events, and worlds belong to them, and are used here without permission. This is solely a not-for-profit fan endeavor.

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Warnings: Mild Language. Rated Fiction T

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Introduction: Finished. Keith and Lance see something strange streaking through the early morning sky while on patrol. They run it to ground in the desert and trap it, but the tables are soon turned. The rest of the Voltron Force must rescue them before it's too late. Setting: DotU.

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Author's Note: 11-16-16 This story was written by request for the KAEX Gift Exchange. As I don't actually know who this is for, I hope the intended recipient enjoys my gift! ~Sapphire

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Author's Note II: 12-29-16 And this story goes out to…. KittyShan! What a great story prompt you came up with! I never imagined I would write a seven chapter story when I signed up for the gift exchange. In fact, it was a challenge to keep the story from getting away from me and turning into an epic, it sprouted so many subplots. (Pruning was necessary, as my subplots have a way of taking things over.) Your review was lovely. I'm so glad you liked it! ~Sapphire

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Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Running Out of Time

By: Sapphire

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Chapter One

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…...

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"I'm fed up," Zarkon thundered at his son and heir. "You are a failure, Lotor. A disappointment. I gave you one simple task, to bring Planet Arus under Doom's rule. I have given you chance after chance to succeed, and you have accomplished nothing."

"I know, Father, but Voltron-"

"Voltron! It's the same excuse again and again," Zarkon interrupted. "No more excuses, Lotor. It's done. I'm finished with Arus. There is nothing on Arus valuable enough to warrant the expense you've incurred trying to conquer that backward planet."

"What are you saying?" Lotor asked, rather more sharply than Zarkon thought appropriate.

"I'm saying, once I'm done dealing with the rebellions on Planet Tyrus, I will turn my attention to Planet Arus, and destroy it. Obliterate it. Wipe it from existence once and for all," Zarkon said. "Now go. Get out of my sight. I can't stand to look at you anymore."

As much as it galled him, Lotor had no choice but to bow respectfully and leave the throne room. His father was in no mood to hear argument. Lotor wasn't stupid enough to try, not with Zarkon in his current mood. No matter. Zarkon was apt to change his mind, and if he didn't, then Lotor would just change it for him. He thought he knew just how to do it, too. Now he just had to find Haggar…

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vvVvv

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Three Days Later…

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"What the hell was that?" Lance's voice came over the live audio feed from Red Lion.

"I don't know," Keith replied absently, trying to get Black's computers to tell him what it was they just saw streak through Arus's clear, blue sky. "Castle control, did you pick up anything out here?"

"Yes," Coran replied, his voice sounding somewhat tinny over the communications system. "Our computers picked up the anomaly as well. All we know for certain is that it came from space."

"What're the chances it was just a meteor, or some space junk burning up in the atmosphere?" Lance asked.

"Not very good," Keith answered. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Yeah, me too," Lance agreed with a sigh.

"Let's go find it, whatever it was," Keith decided.

"If the anomaly didn't burn up in the atmosphere and indeed landed on Arus, the castle computers tell me it would have done so in the desert, somewhere along the low mountain range not far off from your current heading," Coran told them. "Give me a moment, and I can determine a more exact location."

"Then that's where we're going," Keith said, adjusting Black's course, Red Lion following suit.

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vvVvv

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"Coran, we're on the ground," Keith said into his com unit.

"I always thought this was just a big canyon," Lance said, joining Keith on the ground. The two of them took in their surroundings, already sweating in their uniforms from the heat. "This is definitely not natural."

"You are in what was once an open mine," Coran's voice replied through the small communications device. "If the anomaly touched ground, the lions should be right on top of it."

"Let's start looking. It's too hot out here to waste any time," Keith said, waving Lance off in one direction while he set off in the other, working their way outward from the lions in circles.

Scouring the ground with his gaze, Keith was completely focused, looking for any trace of something that shouldn't be there. As he went, Keith kept the com unit in one hand, and his other hand didn't stray too far from the blaster at his side. His bad feeling about the anomaly hadn't abated. Now that he was on the ground, it was more intense. Something wasn't right. He just knew it.

"I've got something," Lance's voice was tight, even over the com unit.

"On my way," Keith responded, then turned and headed back the way he came. It was hard to spot Lance through the shimmering mirages created by the heat, but it only took a few minutes to reach Lance's position. Keith was soaked with sweat by the time he got there.

"Look," Lance said, pointing out the marks in the rocky soil. Keith dropped down on one knee to get a closer look. The rocky soil made the marks somewhat hard to make out; odd bowl shaped dents with lines narrower than the width of his hand crisscrossing between them.

"With the winds out here, this can't have been here long," Keith noted.

"Yeah," Lance agreed. "And look over that way," he said, pointing. "Another of those line tracks. Just one."

Keith got up and went to inspect that more closely. The narrow line in the dirt was roughly twelve feet long before the track disappeared on both ends in rockier terrain. It appeared to be the same as the others, the same width and the same depth, definitely made by the same thing. The only significant difference was an absence of the bowl shaped dents.

"If you sight down the line that track makes, it points right to here," Lance said, still standing by the bowl dents. "It either started here, or ended here. I'm putting my money on started here and moved off that way."

"Since it's unlikely anything flew out of here," Keith began.

"Yeah," Lance cut in. "Coran's been monitoring this area too closely for that to happen without us knowing."

"Then whatever it was went that way," Keith said, pointing in the direction opposite Lance, directly toward the closest wall of the open mine.

"Please tell me we can get the emergency water from the lions first," Lance begged. "I'm dyin' in this heat."

"Let's go get the water," Keith agreed, surprised- but thankful- that Lance wasn't complaining about having to double back to retrieve it in the oppressive heat.

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vvVvv

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"We're here," Hunk announced as he and Pidge entered castle control right behind the princess. "What's goin' on, Coran?"

"Keith and Lance saw something strange while on patrol this morning," Coran quickly related. "The castle's monitoring systems also detected it. It appears that something entered Arus's atmosphere from space and landed on the surface."

"Do you know what it is?" Pidge asked, hurrying to one of the consoles.

"No," Coran said. "We have been unable to identify what it is, though we have pinpointed the location of where it landed. Keith and Lance are there now."

"Keith, what have you found?" Allura asked, moving to stand behind Coran, glancing over his shoulder at the indicator lights on the command console that showed Keith and Lance both had their com units on.

"Just some tracks, and the place where whatever-it-is landed," Keith replied. "Lance and I just finished gearing up to follow the tracks. We need to figure out what the thing is and make sure it isn't a danger to Arus."

"Where are they?" Hunk asked, joining the princess so he could look over Coran's shoulder, too.

"There," Coran said, putting a map up on the large screen, two indicators showing the positions of Red and Black.

"In the big canyon?" Hunk asked.

"In the _mine_ ," Allura corrected, recognizing the area of Arus shown on the screen. Arus's geography had been drilled into her head time and time again since she was a little girl.

"Mine?" Hunk echoed, surprised.

"Yes," Coran confirmed. "It's an open mine, not a canyon. Large and valuable deposits of ore were once mined there, the very same kind of ore used in making many of the components of the lions."

"Something tells me it's not a coincidence our mystery object landed here," Lance said over his com unit.

"I believe you are right," Coran said, his worry evident.

"Doom has to be behind this," Hunk guessed.

"It's quite likely," Coran agreed.

"Hunk, Pidge, I want you in the lions and in the air," Keith said, rattling off orders. "Princess, you stay there on standby. Coran, I want the castle on full alert. It's possible Lance and I are following a decoy of some kind. We can't afford to be caught off guard."

"Got it, captain," Hunk said, stepping back out of the way so Coran could raise the dais.

"I hate being on standby," Allura grumbled as she rose into the air, still on the dais with Coran. Hunk chuckled.

"We all hate babysitting duty," Hunk said with a shrug.

"But we're sure glad it's your turn and not ours!" Pidge added, grabbing his t-bar, his laughter echoing as he rode it down.

"Pidge!" Allura scolded, though she knew he couldn't hear her.

"Don't worry, Princess," Hunk assured, reaching for his own t-bar. "You might get to take Blue out after all." With that, he was gone.

"I very much hope not," Coran said with a sigh.

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vvVvv

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Tracking whatever had landed on Arus wad no easy task. Except the few places where it had passed through a sheltered area, the desert wind had obliterated all trace of it. Keith and Lance found themselves backtracking more than once, returning to the last known location to hopefully pick up the trail in another direction. It was slow going, and Keith knew that, though they hadn't said anything, Hunk and Pidge were getting bored flying patterns above them.

"Hey, Lance, I think I found the trail," Keith called out, spotting that narrow line track in some sand on the lea side of a small boulder. He hurried closer. Sure enough, there was the track, just narrower than the width of his hand.

"How the heck did you spot that?" Lance asked, coming up behind Keith. "It's barely as long as my foot, if that." Keith just shrugged. "Well, let's go that way," Lance said, pointing in the direction the track seemed to point. "See if we can pick up the trail farther on." Keith nodded, and they set out, keeping some distance between them to cover maximum ground. Surprisingly, they didn't go far before picking up the track again. "There," Lance said, heading for the spot. "It went this way."

"Let's keep moving," Keith said. Lance nodded, and they started walking. "Look there," Keith said, spotting yet another track only a minute later. Lance hurried forward, meeting Keith at the faint marks in the dirt.

"Keith, there's another one of those indentations, like at the spot where the thing landed," Lance said, pointing up ahead. They went for a closer look

"Wish I knew what the indents are from," Keith mused, puzzled, studying the track and the bowl shaped indent. They had only found a handful of them since picking up the trail at the landing site.

"Well, when we find the thing that made them, you can ask it," Lance grumbled before taking a swig of water from a canteen.

"Come on, let's see where the thing went next," Keith said, ignoring Lance's comment. "Maybe there are more of those indent marks." Lance stowed his canteen in his pack, and lined up with Keith to make another sweep for more tracks.

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vvVvv

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"They're on to us already, witch," Lotor complained loudly, watching the Voltron Force from afar- with the aid of Haggar's magic.

"Let me assure you, Prince Lotor," the witch hurriedly replied, "all is well. The Voltron Force is having difficulty tracking your little toy. While they scramble around blindly chasing after it, it's sending us the information you desire."

"But will it find what we're looking for before they find it?" Lotor questioned.

"All we need to find is a trace," Haggar reminded. "It only takes a trace to calibrate the scanners to find other deposits of the ore on Arus."

"And when we find valuable deposits, then my father can be convinced to abandon his plans to annihilate Arus," Lotor said.

"Yes, my prince," Haggar agreed.

"Arus was meant to be mine," Lotor said, his golden gaze turning possessive as he viewed the blue planet through the observation window of his ship. "Arus _and_ its princess."

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vvVvv

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To Be Continued…

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	2. Chapter 2

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Running Out of Time

By: Sapphire

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Chapter Two

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…...

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"Lieutenant Hadrian, requesting permission to enter," a male voice came through the intercom at castle control's main door.

"I wasn't expecting anyone," Allura said, looking up at Coran.

"I requested the Lieutenant in case Blue Lion is needed," Coran said. "I thought it best to bring someone in now, eliminate the need to brief them on the situation later in the event of an emergency." Allura nodded, and Coran activated the door from the main console. The door swished silently open, and Lieutenant Hadrian of the castle guard stepped in, pausing to briefly bow to the princess. "Lieutenant," Coran greeted. "There's trouble in the old mine in the southeast quadrant of the desert. Captain Kogane and Lieutenant McClain are on the ground, and the green and yellow lions are in the air providing support."

"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Hadrian said, saluting, then taking a seat at a vacant console.

"We're monitoring the situation for the moment," Princess Allura continued. "Both at the mine, and planet wide. We suspect Planet Doom has something to do with the situation, and there's no telling what they're planning."

"Understood," Lieutenant Hadrian said. "I can manage surveillance of Arus's surface, as well as surrounding space. That will free the both of you up to focus on the situation in the mine."

"Very good, Lieutenant," Coran agreed, turning back to the computers, doing his best to dig up any useful information about the mine. Allura was already completely focused on the com unit transmissions coming from the mine and the live feed coming from the lions.

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vvVvv

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"Keith," Lance called, waving the commander over. "Look."

"A tunnel," Keith said, looking where Lance was pointing. On the ground was another section of track made by the thing they were tracking, and it led right to a dark opening in the canyon wall.

"I thought this was an open pit mine," Lance said, looking around the human made canyon, then back to where the track led. "That looks like an underground mine shaft."

"You are correct," Coran's voice came over the com unit. "The main mine is an open pit, but there are a few tunnels going into the walls, made by independent miners after the main mine was abandoned. Most of them are dead ends."

"Whatever it is we're following went in, but it didn't come out," Keith said, studying the single track. "Unless this tunnel connects to another, or there's another exit, then the thing is still in there."

"There are no existing maps or records indicating that information," Coran relayed.

"Then there's no choice but for Lance and I to go in," Keith said. "Everyone else standby. If this is some kind of a trap, now's the time to spring it."

"Got it, captain," Hunk replied for himself and Pidge.

"Standing by," Allura replied for herself, Coran, and Lieutenant Hadrian.

"Keep your com unit on and blaster ready," Keith told Lance, pulling his own blaster from its holster and checking to make sure it was still charged and in working order. A glance told him Lance was doing the same.

"Ready," Lance said, moving to one side of the tunnel entrance.

"Let's go," Keith said, moving to the opposite side of the entrance. Lance nodded, and the two silently slipped inside the mine shaft.

Light from the entrance showed a clear, single track leading into the tunnel. Keith and Lance followed it, each taking one side of the tunnel as they made their way deeper in. There was a jog in the tunnel just before losing the light from the entrance. Keith peered along it as far as the waning light would allow. To him, it looked as though the miners had encountered some kind of obstacle and been forced to go around it, because it appeared that the tunnel jogged back again just ahead.

"We need light," Lance murmured. Keith nodded, and they both removed the tiny portable light included with their belt utilities. Each tiny light clicked onto the front of the belt where it faintly illuminated the ground and their surroundings without blinding the wearer. Keith motioned to Lance to continue forward.

Around the bend in the tunnel they went, careful to move slowly and silently. The tunnel straightened out again after the second turn, and they followed it for several minutes before their light illuminated what looked like a rough opening, possibly to a cavern of some kind. A shared glance told them they were in complete agreement on how to proceed, and they slowed, approaching cautiously.

It did prove to be an opening to a cavern. One side of the opening had a protrusion of rock that would conceal them both if they stood close together. Another shared glance had Lance crossing the tunnel to stand with Keith. Once in position, they stood unmoving, just listening to the sounds of the cave. It wasn't silent. There was definitely something in there. Something mechanical.

Very carefully, Keith squatted down to peer around the rock shielding them. Lance stood behind him, leaning his shoulder against the rock, peering around the rock as well. There was no need for a light because something in there was giving off just enough for them to see, and as soon as they saw the thing, they knew it was what they'd been tracking.

"It's so little," Lance sounded almost miffed, his voice so quiet Keith could barely hear.

The main body was shaped like a sphere, about the size of a basketball. It certainly looked like a metal ball rolling around the small cavern, but the surface of the machine was actually covered with what appeared to be a series of treads that propelled it, making it highly maneuverable. As they watched from behind the rock protrusion, the tread it was currently resting on suddenly extended, lifting the thing a little off the ground. The tread started spinning, carving a bowl shaped depression into the soil of the cavern floor. The round device then settled into the perfectly sized depression for stabilization before several little arms extended from various areas of the sphere, each with some tool or instrument on the end.

"It looks like it's taking a scan of something," Keith whispered, watching it operate.

"That's a transmitter on the top," Lance pointed out.

"It's some kind of probe," Keith realized, watching as it completed its scan, then retracted its arms and began to roll on its treads again.

"Doom?" Lance asked. Keith just nodded. Who else would it be? "We gotta stop it."

"We'll ambush it outside," Keith said, taking a good look around the mine's cave. "There's only one way out." Lance's only response was a nod. They both knew it was the smartest plan. Keith backed away, and Lance began to follow.

It was too late when Lance realized he'd moved too fast. When his shoulder lifted from the rock it had rested against, it dislodged a crumbling chunk. Lance made a grab for the pieces, but there was too much debris to catch with just his hands. Rock and dirt tumbled down from his shoulder height to the floor of the mine, making noise enough for the probe to detect.

"Uh-oh," Lance murmured as the probe spun on its spherical base, the glow from its scanners pointing right at them.

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vvVvv

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"That doesn't sound good," Hunk said. Lance's 'uh-oh' was the first thing any of them had clearly heard in more than ten minutes. Muffled, unintelligible whispers before that had only reassured them that Keith and Lance were still linked to them through their com units.

A series of electronic whistles and beeps suddenly came through.

"That sounds even worse," Pidge said through the live feed from Green Lion.

"Let's bring it in closer to the tunnel they went into," Hunk said, changing Yellow's course as he spoke. "They might need back-up."

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vvVvv

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The probe made some nasty sounding whistles and beeps. Keith and Lance began slowly backing away, not sure what to expect, but knowing it was nothing good. The probe shot toward Keith and Lance, rolling at full speed.

"Watch your feet!" Lance shouted as it barreled at them. He and Keith both managed to sidestep it as it streaked past them.

"Don't let it escape!" Keith shouted as he and Lance chased after it.

"Believe me, I won't," Lance returned. "I'm not hunting that thing down in this heat again." Keith drew his blaster and fired on it. He missed as the probe made a sharp turn at the jog in the mine shaft. "I got it," Lance said, already sighted on the probe, racing around the curve after it. He fired, and it hit dead center. The probe wobbled, then righted itself, still moving fast despite the damaged treads.

"Hit it again," Keith ordered, right on Lance's heels, firing. This time he connected. A second laser blast from Lance also connected. The probe was knocked sideways, enough of the treads damaged that it didn't seem the other treads were able to compensate.

"Got it," Lance crowed, advancing slowly on it. It never hurt to be overly cautious. Who knew what Doom had up its sleeve? How right he was. "What now?" Lance exclaimed, freezing in place as half a dozen little arms shot out of the probe, and a red light began to flash as each arm turned to point at them.

"Back!" Keith shouted, grabbing Lance by the shoulder, turning him back the way they'd just come. "Go back around the bend in the tunnel!" Lance didn't need to be told twice. They raced as fast as they could back the way they'd come, just rounding the first turn when laser fire erupted behind them. "Damn!" Keith exclaimed as they both hit the dirt.

"Are you hit?" Lance asked, the laser fire ceasing.

"I think I got clipped, but I'm fine," Keith replied

"Yeah, it got you," Lance said, giving Keith a quick once over because Keith's definition of 'fine' often differed from everyone else's. "Got your com unit, anyway." Keith unclipped his com unit from his belt. Half the casing fell away and clattered to the ground. It was a total loss.

"Better my com unit than me," was all Keith could say.

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vvVvv

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"Keith's com unit is offline," Allura reported the moment the indicator light went out. Lance's was still lit, and she held her breath, waiting for the noise of laser blasts to abate.

"Are you hit?" The sound of Lance's voice cutting the silence was a relief, and Keith's reply that he was fine allowed the princess to start breathing again.

"Hunk? Pidge?" Allura prompted, looking at them through the video feed.

"There's nothing to see from here," Pidge told her with a shrug.

"We're sitting tight, watching in case the probe leaves the tunnel," Hunk assured her. Pidge nodded. The tension of the situation showed in both their faces. She had a good idea they could see it in her, too.

"All right," Allura told them. "Let's keep our fingers crossed. That's the right expression, isn't it?"

"Sure is, Princess," Pidge confirmed with a faint smile. "They're crossed. Both hands." He held up his hands to show her, making her smile, too.

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vvVvv

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Keith was just getting to his knees when he and Lance heard a slow beeping noise coming from the direction of the probe. They exchanged a questioning glance. Lance shrugged, and Keith motioned for Lance to follow his lead. They crept to the corner, blasters in hand, wondering what the probe was up to now. Very cautiously, they peered around the corner.

"Light?" Lance offered, holding up a flashlight.

"Where did that come from?" Keith asked.

"I threw a flashlight in my pack before we headed out to track that thing," Lance said with a shrug. "Figured it couldn't hurt."

"You're a regular Boy Scout, Lance," Keith quipped, then turned back to the probe. Lance's flashlight beam roved over the still object. The blaster arms were still out, and armed, judging by the way they reacted to the presence of the flashlight beam. Then the light came to rest on a marking on the side. "The probe is from Doom," Keith confirmed, recognizing the skull symbol- the very same symbol that had been tattooed on his arm during his brief imprisonment on Doom when the team first arrived in the Denubian Galaxy. Lance let out a low whistle.

"Must be after some of the ore Coran was talking about," Lance guessed.

"Probably," Keith agreed.

"Is it just me, or is the beeping getting faster?" Lance asked.

"It's not just you," Keith confirmed.

"Didn't think so," Lance sighed dismally. Suddenly the probe lit up red from the inside, the glowing light illuminating every space, gap, and crack in the probe's exterior. "That can't possibly be good," Lance said. Keith's gaze narrowed at the probe, catching just a glimpse of something inside. Something that looked suspiciously like a display that was counting down.

"Run," Keith ordered, backing away, pulling Lance back around the corner with him. Again. "It's a self-destruct mechanism." Without further prompting, Lance ran, racing toward the cavern at the end of the tunnel.

"Ouch!" Lance grunted, stumbling over some loose rock, his hip hitting the corner of the tunnel wall hard as they rounded the second bend. He managed to stay upright and keep pace with Keith, keeping the flashlight steadier on the ground to avoid further mishaps.

The blast was surprisingly quiet, but sudden, throwing them forward, right into the center of the small cavern. They both lay there stunned for a long moment before moving. Then, looking back in the light of the flashlight, they saw a chunk of rock fall from the ceiling of the tunnel.

"The tunnel is caving in!" Keith exclaimed. His gaze met Lance's, and he knew they were both thinking the same thing. The cavern was a dead end. If it caved in, they were both dead. "Come on!" Keith shouted, scrambling up and grabbing Lance's arm, pulling him along. They did the only thing they could. They scrambled back to the farthest corner of the cavern and huddled against the wall, doing their best to shield themselves from falling rock.

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vvVvv

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"The mine shaft!" Pidge exclaimed, staring at the image on his screen as he listened to the horrible sounds coming from Lance's com unit. "The entrance! It's caving in!" He and Hunk watched in horror as the entrance to the mine tunnel seemed to belch clouds of dust before crumbling, rock and debris spilling from the opening before it completely collapsed.

"Are they out?" Allura frantically cut in from castle control. "Did they get out?" Hunk looked at Pidge over the video feed. The boy was ashen faced, and he himself was feeling sick. "Pidge, Hunk, did they get out?"

"No," Hunk said quietly, watching the dust settle around where the tunnel entrance used to be. His heart sank. "They're still inside." There was silence over the com system.

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vvVvv

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To Be Continued…

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	3. Chapter 3

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Running Out of Time

By: Sapphire

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Chapter Three

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…...

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"The probe has been destroyed," Lotor fumed, glowering at the old witch. "Tell me it found what I'm looking for."

"Give it time, my prince," Haggar pleaded. "The probe sent a surprising amount of data before its demise. It will take time for the computers to analyze it all."

"And what, pray tell, do you think the data will tell me?" Lotor demanded.

"I hope it tells you what you wish to hear," was all that Haggar could offer. Lotor let out a snarl, then turned his gaze back to the observation window, back to Arus.

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vvVvv

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"Lance?" Keith said, then coughed from all the dust in the air. The sound of an answering cough lifted the cold weight of dread from him. Lance was alive, at least.

"Here," Lance managed to say between coughs. The flashlight had been knocked from his hand, but it was still working, judging by the glow coming from under the gritty gravel that had rained down on them from the cavern's ceiling. He crawled forward and groped for it, digging his hand in until his fingers found the smooth metal of the handle. He pulled it out, lighting up the cloud of dust still floating in the air.

"Are you hurt?" Keith asked, his cough slowly easing as the dust began to settle.

"A few bruises," Lance returned. "You?"

"Same," Keith answered, slowly sitting up.

"Nanny is going to have a fit when she sees your uniform," Lance commented, shining the light on Keith.

"Then she'll have a second fit when she sees yours," Keith retorted, watching him sit up, too. Lance actually laughed, and that made Keith smile in return, even though Lance's laugh quickly morphed into a fit of coughing. "Should we go see the damage?" Keith suggested once Lance had his coughing under control.

"Might as well," Lance agreed, slowly getting to his feet, shaking the dirt off as best he could. "Ugh." Lance complained. "I've got dirt down the back of my neck."

"Me, too," Keith said as the dirt poured off of him as well.

"Up my sleeves," Lance continued to complain, "down my back, down the front of my uniform, even in my-"

"I got it," Keith cut in sharply. "So does anyone else listening in over your com unit."

"Uh, sorry," Lance said, flushing slightly, realizing what he had been about to say wouldn't have been well received in castle control. "I forgot."

"Coran, Hunk, anyone," Keith said. "Are we getting through?" The only reply was silence. "Lance, is your com unit on?" Lance fumbled for his com unit, taking it off his belt at his hip. His face slowly fell as he ran his fingers over the surface of the device. "Lance?"

"The indicator lights are all out," Lance said slowly. "The casing is pretty banged up. I think I hit it against the tunnel wall when I tripped back there." He looked up and met Keith's incredulous gaze. "It's- it's dead."

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vvVvv

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Allura's mind was reeling. Keith and Lance were still inside the mine tunnel. The tunnel that collapsed. Her chest felt tight. It was hard to breathe. Her whole world had narrowed to the tiny light on her console showing Lance's com unit was still active, and the deafening silence coming from it.

"Lance?" Keith's voice cut through the silence, followed by Lance's, "Here." Allura let out a hiccupping sob, aware for the first time she'd been crying. She covered her face, trying to stem the flow of tears, and took a deep breath to try and calm herself. They were alive.

"Keith, Lance, are either of you hurt?" Coran asked as Keith said, "Are you hurt?"

"A few bruises," was Lance's reply. "You?"

"Same," came Keith's answer.

"What a relief," Coran said, talking over the cheers that came from Hunk and Pidge over the live feed. "According to Hunk and Pidge, the entrance to the mine tunnel-"

"Nanny is going to have a fit when she sees your uniform," Lance said, cutting Coran off.

"Then she'll have a second fit when she sees yours," came Keith's reply.

"A-hem. Excuse me," Coran said, glancing to make sure castle control was transmitting to Lance's com unit. They gave no indication of having heard him. "Captain? Lieutenant?" Coran said loudly, but the two just carried on with a conversation about dirt- all nonsense.

"Keith, Lance, can you hear me?" Allura said, coming to the same realization as Coran.

"Coran, Hunk, anyone," Keith called out. "Are we getting through?"

"Keith, can you hear me?" Allura repeated.

"Lance, is your com unit on?" they heard Keith ask.

"Keith, Lance," Allura repeated loudly for the third time over the com system. "Do you read me?"

"The indicator lights are all out," Lance said.

"We can hear them, but they can't hear us," Hunk said from the cockpit of Yellow Lion, talking right over Lance. "He must a damaged the receiver somehow."

"It's dead," they heard Lance say.

"Whatever you do, don't turn it off, Lance," Pidge said.

"He can't hear you, little buddy," Hunk reminded.

"I know," Pidge returned. "I just need his com unit to stay on. I'm trying to trace the transmission and pinpoint their exact location underground. We're going to need to know it if we're going to get them out."

"Good thinking," Coran said. "I will try and override the com unit's controls so that it will remain on, even if Lance tries to turn it off."

"Got it!" Pidge exclaimed. "Now we know where they are."

"And I believe I've managed to lock the controls on Lance's Com unit," Coran added.

"Now we just gotta figure out how to get them out," Hunk said.

"And we _are_ going to get them out," Allura seconded, her resolution firm. For several terrible minutes she'd thought she'd lost them. There was no way she was going to waste her chance to get them back. She turned toward Coran. "Is there anyone on Arus that could be considered an expert on that mine?" she asked.

"Perhaps one," Coran mused aloud, thinking over the little information he'd been able to dig up on the mine in such a short time.

"Better find them quick," Lieutenant Hadrian advised. "We don't know how big a space they're trapped in, so there's no telling how much time they have before they run out of air." Allura shot a horrified look at Coran.

"Find them quickly," Allura commanded. "We're going to need some expert advice if we want to get Keith and Lance out of there alive." Coran nodded, getting up from the console, and quickly left the control room.

"I could just dig them out," Hunk suggested. "Yellow is good underground."

"Not so fast," Lieutenant Hadrian cautioned. "That area was subject to heavy mining operations. Then Arus took a beating during the Doom attacks. Now an explosion. Her Highness is right. We need some experts to assess the situation, determine how compromised the stability of the rock surrounding the Captain and Lieutenant is." Lieutenant Hadrian's meaning was not lost on Hunk. A hasty rescue could end up killing them instead.

"Hunk, Pidge, I need you to fly your lions to Helena, our neighboring kingdom," Allura said. "Arus's largest mining operation is located there. They'll have any equipment we might need to get Lance and Keith out, and we're going to need to get it as quickly as possible."

"We're on it, Princess," Pidge said. Allura and the Lieutenant could hear the lions roar through the live feed as they set off toward Helena.

.

vvVvv

.

Keith let out a slow breath, trying to keep calm. They were a couple hundred yards deep, laterally, and at least twice that vertically. They had no communications, and judging by the current state of the tunnel, they had no way out.

"Think we can dig our way out?" Lance asked, not sounding the least bit hopeful, looking at the rubble from the cave-in. They could enter the tunnel from the cave, but it was blocked just a few paces in.

"This end is completely blocked. I doubt we can clear it by ourselves," Keith admitted. "It must be a couple tons of rock, at least." Lance let out a desolate sigh. "No telling how bad the rest of the tunnel is."

"So we're stuck," Lance said.

"Yeah," Keith confirmed.

"They'll try and dig us out, won't they?" Lance asked after a long moment, trying to think positive. "Even though the com units are both dead and they don't know if we're alive or not, they'll still dig. Right?"

"I hope so," Keith said. And he really did, because that was their only hope of getting out of this situation.

"So what now?" Lance asked. Keith sighed. What could they do, really?

"For now, make ourselves comfortable, keep calm, and hope there's enough air in here to last until they get us out," Keith said.

"Yeah. Air," Lance repeated dismally.

"It could be worse," Keith pointed out.

"Yeah? How?" Lance demanded.

"We could be trapped in here with Lotor," Keith suggested as they headed back into the cave.

"How could that be worse?" Lance asked. "Between you and me we could put an end to him once and for all before we kick it ourselves. Not a bad way to go, really."

"We could be trapped in here with Haggar," Keith tried next.

"Ugh, now that really would be worse," Lance agreed. "Imagine _that_ being the last thing you saw before you died…" As morbid as it was, Keith had to laugh.

.

vvVvv

.

It had been two hours since the princess had heard from Coran, and her heart skipped a beat when castle control alerted her to an incoming call from his com unit. She quickly opened the channel.

"Coran," she said breathlessly.

"Your Highness, I've found him," Coran said without preamble. "Possibly the only person left on Arus with enough knowledge of the mine to be considered an expert."

"Where is he?" Allura asked. "Who is he?"

"His name is Pol Triar," Coran told her. "He has an impeccable academic background in geology. He spent several years at the Helena mines. After returning to Altaire, for some unknown reason, he adopted the lifestyle of a hermit and spent years working the open mine on his own. Before the war, of course."

"Is he willing to help us?" Allura asked.

"He is willing, however, he was not pleased to learn you had sent for miners from Helena," Coran replied with a sigh. "It seems he is still holding to some grudge from years ago. I only hope it doesn't interfere with the rescue operation."

"We haven't any other options," Allura sighed wearily. "Do you trust Mr. Triar?"

"I do," Coran assured. Allura trusted Coran's judgement, and so trusted Mr. Triar, too.

.

vvVvv

.

.

.

To Be Continued…

.


	4. Chapter 4

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Running Out of Time

By: Sapphire

.

Chapter Four

.

…...

.

"Are you the one Coran sent?" Pidge called, jogging across the rocky terrain of the mine to meet the newcomer.

"Pol Triar," the man said with a nod. He turned his eyes to the wall of the mine, where Hunk and a half dozen others stood. "So that's the tunnel that collapsed," Pol said. "Hmm. I know that one. It was the best built tunnel out here." His words were not a comfort, nor had they been intended to be, Pidge realized. He swallowed.

"We brought in some miners from the Helena mines," Pidge said. "They aren't sure what's under the surface of the sand rock. Since you're the expert on this place, they're wondering if you know." Pol just nodded, then started toward the others.

"A Melchior drill," Pol noted, as they made their way around a large piece of heavy drilling equipment.

"We brought that and some other stuff from Helena, too," Pidge explained. Pol nodded.

"That him?" Hunk called when Pidge and Pol were within hearing distance.

"Yeah," Pidge called back.

"I was just asking these guys if taking Yellow Lion and digging Keith and Lance out would be a good idea," Hunk said, catching the newcomers up to speed as they joined the group.

"It depends," one of the miners said. He pointed at the walls of the open mine. "This is sand rock, mostly made of compressed sands. It's full of rifts and cracks. This area in particular is riddled with ore deposits. Not the best stuff to work in if you're unfamiliar with it. Especially when you're not familiar with the equipment." He shot an intrigued look at Yellow Lion.

"Sergeant Garret is right, though," another miner put in. "Yellow Lion could do the job much faster than any of our equipment, and we don't have a lot of time."

"Then we test it," Pol said shortly. He pointed across the canyon to the opposite wall. "Start a tunnel there, where the digging won't do any damage over here, and see if Yellow Lion is a viable option." The miners just looked at him uncertainly. Pol scowled. "That yellow section over there has the same composition as the rock here," he explained patiently. The miners looked to Pidge uncertainly.

"This is Pol Triar," he said. "He's mined this area for years." The name garnered instant recognition in the miners.

"So, what do you suggest?" one of the miners asked Pol, setting off an intense discussion on how best to go about the test dig.

.

vvVvv

.

"You've been awfully quiet, Lieutenant Hadrian," Allura said, leaning back in her chair. Keith and Lance were quiet, giving her little to focus on, giving all her uncertainties room to surface. She needed a distraction. "Is there any news on Planet Doom?" Lieutenant Hadrian turned his chair to face her.

"No, Princess," he reported. "Everything is quiet in that sector. I picked up a passing Doom command ship a little while ago when you were busy, but it's moved off, away from Arus. I've got my eye out for a sudden return."

"Good," Allura said with a nod. Just then Coran made his return to castle control.

"How are Keith and Lance?" Coran asked. Allura smiled faintly. For all his lectures to her about propriety, bad influences, and maintaining an appropriate distance from the boys, he did care about them very much.

"They spent some time clearing an area and setting up a kind of camp. Lance is resting, and Keith is on watch," Allura updated him. "They're worried about a possible second cave-in."

"As am I," Coran agreed as he resumed his seat at the main console.

"I wish there was something more I could do," Allura said, frustrated.

"Everything that can be done is being done," Coran assured her.

"I know," Allura sighed, turning back to her console. "There is nothing I can do at the mine for the moment. Pidge and Hunk are sure to keep me updated. For now, I will have to remain here on standby. Just because Keith is trapped underground doesn't mean he won't expect me to follow orders." Allura let out a slow, silent sigh, and settled in to listen to the transmission from Lance's com unit, not seeing Coran's approving smile.

.

vvVvv

.

Hunk was optimistic as he climbed back up into Yellow. He and Yellow Lion had already dug two test tunnels. Pol and the miners had gone over both of them in meticulous detail and found them sound. Now to dig the third and final test tunnel, and arguably the most important. Pol explained that the sand rock in this region was riddled with ore deposits- the reason the mine existed there in the first place. There was a high chance they would have to drill through the dense ore to reach Keith and Lance, and that was no easy task.

"Ready," Hunk announced as he fired up Yellow at the new test dig site.

"Then start digging," Pidge relayed orders over the live feed from Green's cockpit. "Everyone's clear." Hunk did as told, starting Yellow's digging claws rotating. The entire lion ship vibrated as the claws started cutting into the ore lying just feet beyond the sand rock façade of the mine's wall.

"Whoa," Hunk said, adjusting the digging settings. "This stuff is tough." It was quickly apparent that this would be very slow going.

A half hour later the tunnel was barely deep enough for Yellow's shoulders to fit inside, less than half the distance he'd been able to dig the other tunnels in the same amount of time. Hunk had tried using Yellow's flame throwers to soften the ore, which worked, but found that if he didn't dig through the heated ore fast enough, it hardened upon cooling, making digging more difficult. Unfortunately, the flames were really the only way to get Yellow's digging claws through the tough stuff efficiently.

"Okay, Hunk," Pidge called through the live feed. "The miners say that's enough." Hunk complied, powering down Yellow's digging claws, and backing Yellow Lion out of the shallow cave he'd managed to hollow out. Hunk settled Yellow away from the wall, next to Green Lion, and powered him down into standby. Then he exited the cockpit to join the others on the ground. Pol and the miners were already inside the shallow tunnel, examining it to determine its integrity. Hunk joined Pidge, watching from the entrance.

"We can't use Yellow Lion on this stuff," Pol declared after a few short minutes. "Feel the heat radiating from the ore. It'll turn the cave with the survivors into an oven." Every one of the miners were nodding in agreement.

"The Melchior drill is built to go through denser rock than this," one of the miners said, contemplating the situation. "Yellow Lion can dig through the sand rock, then we pull Yellow Lion and send in the Melchior when we hit ore deposits."

"The Melchior will get through all right," another said, "but it's slow going. Their air supply might run out before we can reach them."

"Then we figure out which side of the cavern has the least amount of ore to dig through and come in that way," Pol said. "If you can get a Lyell sensor up on the ridge, we can send a pulse down through the ground and see where the deposits lie."

"Will that knock out the transmitter on a com unit?" Hunk asked seriously.

"It shouldn't," Pol said. "It doesn't work that way."

"We brought a Lyell sensor," one of the miners told Pol. "Thought it might be useful." Pol nodded.

"Green and I'll take it and some men up to the top of the canyon," Pidge volunteered.

"The rest of us will do a test drill with the Melchior," another of the miners said. "Make sure we're right about Melchior's capabilities."

"I'll help with that," Hunk said, and the miner nodded. They divided up, each group intent on their tasks. Time was ticking.

.

vvVvv

.

"I have good news, my prince," Haggar announced, entering the observation room where Lotor waited with food and wine to occupy him.

"The data from my probe has been analyzed?" Lotor guessed, setting his cup down and leaning forward eagerly.

"The analysis is still incomplete," Haggar cautioned, "however, traces of multiple minerals have been isolated, and there will potentially be more. It is only a matter of time before each trace is identified. We know the ore was once mined there, my Prince. There is a very good chance one will be the ore. All signs point toward the outcome you desire."

"That is good news," Lotor agreed, settling back in his chair, pleased. "Very good news, indeed." Lotor picked up his glass once again, raising it to Haggar, and then brought it to his lips. "I eagerly await more good news," he said by way of dismissing the witch. She got the message, and bowed her way out of the room.

.

vvVvv

.

.

.

To Be Continued…

.


	5. Chapter 5

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Running Out of Time

By: Sapphire

.

Chapter Five

.

…...

.

Allura checked the time, surprised to see it had only been two hours since Coran returned to castle control. Two hours she'd spent in her chair listening intently to the transmission from Lance's com unit. It was late afternoon now. Keith and Lance had been trapped for close to seven hours. Most of those seven hours they'd spent taking turns sleeping. There had been very little talk, and what there had been only showed how heavy on their minds the limited air supply weighed.

"Hang in there," she whispered under her breath so Coran and Lieutenant Hadrian wouldn't hear. "We're on our way."

.

vvVvv

.

"Back it out!" Pidge yelled at Hunk over the live feed. Hunk acted without questioning, hitting the reverse thrusters, backing Yellow Lion out of the tunnel. In front of him rock was falling where he and Yellow had been only moments before.

"That was close, little buddy. Thanks," Hunk said, clearing the entrance.

"Any time," Pidge said, the two of them falling silent, watching and waiting for the rest of the tunnel to cave. It held.

"We're going in to check the damage," Pol told them through a spare headset communicator Hunk had found stashed in Yellow's cockpit. "Sit tight." Hunk watched Pol and half the miners head cautiously into the rescue tunnel on foot.

"You had just fifty yards to go before hitting the ore deposit," Pidge said over the live feed. The Lyell sensor had shown them a path with just one deposit of ore between the rescue crew and Keith and Lance. The problem was, their cave was right smack in the middle of it, and it was a big one. It was going to take time to drill through it, and time was something they weren't sure they had. "Hopefully we can clear the tunnel and keep going. I don't think Keith and Lance have enough time for us to start over in a new location."

"Yeah," Hunk heaved a heavy sigh. Then they waited, watching for Pol and the others to come out of the tunnel. It was a good fifteen minutes before they emerged.

"Could be worse," Pol reported. "Might be able to clear it and keep going."

"Can the lions clear away the debris?" one of the miners asked. "If they can, and the tunnel holds, we should be able to keep going."

"On it," Pidge said. In minutes he and Green were busy removing fallen rock from inside the new tunnel, Yellow Lion ready to go in for the next load.

.

vvVvv

.

"Ouch," Lance said, rubbing his shin. "That's the third time I've hit something."

"It's not like you to be so clumsy," Keith observed. They were silent a moment, exchanging a long look.

"Lack of coordination," Lance said. "Maybe a sign of lowering oxygen levels?"

"I've had a headache for a while. Another sign," Keith said.

"We're gonna get out of here, right?" Lance asked.

"I don't know," was all Keith could say. Dejectedly, Lance sat down, trying to get comfortable on the hard ground. They sat in silence, staring at the uneven ceiling of the cave in the light of the flashlight. Even that was waning, not as bright as it had been. Soon the battery would run too low for the flashlight to work. They still had the small lights from their belt utilities, but those put out a bare minimum of light, and would last a few hours at best on their tiny battery cells. A half hour passed, and sure enough, the flashlight flickered, then died.

"Let's use my utility light first," Lance said. "Save yours for later." He fumbled in the dark to remove the tiny light, then flicked it on. He set it on a flattish rock between them, the tiny light just barely illuminating their faces. "How long have we been stuck in here?" Lance asked after another drawn-out silence. He could just make out Keith's movements as he checked his watch.

"Ten hours," Keith said. Ten hours. That was a long time.

"How much air do you think we have left?" Lance asked next.

"A few hours maybe," Keith replied tightly.

"Hey Keith?" Lance asked next. "Think this is actually it?" He could see Keith's face turn toward him. "I mean, we haven't had any sign that they're coming for us. Maybe they aren't."

"They're coming," Keith said, though he didn't sound entirely certain he believed his own words. "We just have to hold on a little longer."

"You're right. They'll come for us. They'll try even if they don't know whether we're alive or dead," Lance allowed. "But what if they don't get to us in time?"

"We can't think like that," Keith said. "It'll just make us crazy."

"Yeah," Lance said. "You're right." They fell into silence once again.

.

vvVvv

.

Allura pushed her chair back abruptly and got to her feet. She paced back and forth across a short stretch of floor, wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks. It was so frustrating, listening to Lance and Keith, having no way of reassuring them that help was on the way. They were scared. Maybe they didn't say so, but she could tell they were, and it hurt her to hear it.

"Princess Allura," Coran called abruptly, gaining her attention. She paused in her pacing and met his gaze. "We _will_ get to them in time," Coran assured. His resolve was absolute, and it went a long way in making her feel better.

"Yes, we will," Allura agreed with a nod.

.

vvVvv

.

"There!" Hunk exclaimed, powering down Yellow's digging claws. "We're through to the ore deposit!" He could hear a cheer from the miners over the audio from Pol's com headset.

"Yellow Lion's work is done," Pol said over the cheers. "Time to get the Melchior drill into the tunnel."

"How long do you think it'll take to get through to the cave?" Pidge asked, too worried to cheer with the miners.

"Hard to say," Pol replied. "A couple hours if we're lucky. More if we're not. Hopefully we don't run into any serious trouble."

"Yeah, hopefully," Pidge echoed, looking to Hunk over the live feed. Hunk was just as worried as he. Keith and Lance had been in there a long time, and from what the princess had reported, were already starting to feel the effects of lowered oxygen levels.

.

vvVvv

.

"Hey Keith?" Lance called, breaking the long silence. "You feeling dizzy at all?"

"Yeah," Keith replied from his spot a few feet away from where Lance lay.

"Me, too," Lance said. "It's weird. The light is so dim I can't see the ceiling, but I'm watching it spin."

"That's… not possible," Keith said, confused.

"I know," Lance agreed.

"I'm tired," Keith said after a long moment.

"Don't sleep," Lance warned.

"I know," Keith assured, and they lapsed into silence again. They were running out of time, Keith knew. Dizziness, fatigue… eventually they would lose consciousness, and then… Keith didn't want to think about what came next, but he was pragmatic enough to realize rescue might not come in time. "Any regrets, Lance?" Keith asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Regrets?" Lance echoed. "Where the hell is this coming from? What happened to Mr. They're-coming-for-us?"

"Lack of oxygen?" Keith suggested wryly.

"Probably," Lance agreed.

"They are coming," Keith said. "They have to be. They just… might be too late."

"Yeah," Lance said, sounding defeated. They were pretty deep underground. It couldn't be easy for a rescue party to get to them.

"So do you?" Keith prompted. "Have any regrets?"

"Yeah. I regret not stabbing Lotor in the back the dozen or so chances I had to do it," Lance replied.

"Be serious," Keith cajoled.

"I am," Lance returned. "I also regret cutting the call short the last time I talked to my parents. I regret never meeting _her_. You know. The One. I regret that I never purposely turned at the last second so Princess would miss my cheek and land a kiss on my mouth instead-"

"Lance," Keith said warningly.

"What?" Lance shot back. "You wanted to know what I regret."

"You're trying to bait me," Keith accused.

"Bait you?" Lance echoed. "Why would I do that?" he asked. "More importantly, why would the princess kissing me needle you?"

"Because," Keith said.

"Because?" Lance echoed when Keith left that one word hanging. "Because isn't an answer. It's just the beginning of an answer. Because why?"

"Just because," Keith said defensively.

" _Just_ because _why_?" Lance prodded.

"Because you know I love her, all right? Is that what you wanted me to say?" Keith lashed out at his only target- Lance. He was just so angry and frustrated and a dozen other things, and it was just so unfair. His fit of temper faded as fast as it had come. If this was it, he didn't want to spend his last moments angry at Lance.

"I thought so," Lance said. "That's why I never made a play for her."

"I know." And Keith did know. Lance had definitely been interested in the princess at the beginning, but he'd backed off, and it hadn't taken much for Keith to figure out why.

"Regrets?" Lance asked. It was only fair since Keith had started it.

"Just one," Keith answered.

"Princess," Lance said knowingly.

"Yeah," Keith acknowledged. "I never told her I love her."

"Too busy thinking you're not good enough for her?" Lance guessed.

"I'm not," Keith said. "She's out of my league."

"Says who?" Lance countered. "Don't you think that's for her to decide?"

"It's not entirely up to her," Keith said. "She's a princess…" Lance snorted.

"Oh, it's definitely, one hundred percent, absolutely up to her," Lance assured. "People- okay, Nanny and Coran- think they know what's best for her in the romance department, but they don't have to marry the guy they pick out. Princess does. If you haven't noticed, she's gotten more confident, more assertive. That's one decision she won't let anyone make for her. Just ask her."

"I wish I could," Keith said wistfully.

"I wish you could, too," Lance said, subdued once again. They were quiet for a few minutes before Lance spoke again. "Was it that first time we saw her?" he asked. "Let me tell you, I thought I was in love the very first time I looked at her, too."

"No," came Keith's surprising answer.

"No?" Lance echoed, incredulous.

"Sure, she's beautiful-"

"Sucker punch to the gut gorgeous," Lance amended.

"Yeah, it did feel like that, didn't it?" Keith admitted. "But that wasn't it."

"So what was it, then?" Lance was curious.

"When she took Blue Lion out in the middle of the night without permission so she could learn to fly," Keith said.

"But you were so mad about that!" Lance exclaimed, incredulous.

"I was," Keith agreed. "But then I realized I'd have done the same thing in her place."

"Seriously?" Lance snorted with laughter. "You fell for her because you _respected_ her?"

"What's wrong with respect?" Keith demanded.

"Nothing," Lance told him. "It's just so typically you. I don't even know why I'm surprised. I mean, it was almost painful, watching the way you tried to keep things strictly professional. And for what? She gradually became one of us anyway." Keith winced.

"Was I really that obvious?" Keith asked.

"To me you were," Lance said. He turned to look at Keith, barely able to make him out in the dim light. "Must have been hard, keeping your hands off her, spending all that time with her without Coran's or Nanny's supervision," Lance added suggestively.

"It wasn't like that!" Keith exclaimed.

"I know," Lance said with a chuckle. "I just like getting under your skin." Keith sighed, exasperated. "But you appreciated that pink bikini as much as the rest of us did," Lance finished.

"Oh yeah," Keith agreed, remembering quite vividly. He certainly had.

.

vvVvv

.

There was absolute silence in castle control. Allura knew both Coran and Lieutenant Hadrian were staring at her while she was staring incredulously at the indicator light that told her Lance's com unit was still transmitting. Her face was hot with embarrassment. She had heard every word, and so had Coran and the Lieutenant. Worse, Pidge and Hunk were staring at her through the live feed. They'd been listening, too. And she had no idea what to think, except that she wished Keith had been confessing those things to her, instead of to Lance. In private.

She slowly stood and stepped back away from the console. Taking a deep breath, she looked up, holding her head high. Then she turned to meet Coran's shocked gaze. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Not a word," Allura said, stressing each word as she spoke it. "Not one word." Coran's mouth closed. Then Allura took a moment to pull herself together and turned her attention to Hunk and Pidge. "How much longer will it take to drill through?" she asked.

"Pol says about an hour," Hunk replied, finding his voice first.

"Then I'll be heading there soon," Allura said. "I- I need to be there."

"We know, Princess," Pidge said. "None of us would have it any other way."

"Thanks, Pidge," Allura said. "See you within the hour."

.

vvVvv

.

.

.

To Be Continued…

.


	6. Chapter 6

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Running Out of Time

By: Sapphire

.

Chapter Six

.

…...

.

"It could be a shared hallucination," Lance said.

"You heard a noise. I heard a noise," Keith said. They were sitting cross-legged, facing each other across the tiny light on the rock between them. "I don't think we're hallucinating." Just then they heard another odd sound, almost like a mechanical whir. Their gazes locked, disbelieving. "Rescue?" Keith ventured a guess.

"Or another cave-in," Lance pointed out pessimistically. Another noise. This time louder. "Closer?" Lance asked.

"Sounds that way," Keith said with a shrug. They sat in silence, listening. More sounds came, some softer, some louder. Slowly, the sound changed.

"What is it?" Lance asked, staring quizzically at the light as he strained to listen closely.

"Not sure," Keith said, listening too. "Drilling!" he suddenly exclaimed. "They're drilling their way to us!"

"I sure hope you're right," Lance said, getting up off the ground. He swayed woozily on his feet. "Whoa. I feel kind of drunk."

"Then sit back down," Keith suggested.

"No," Lance said, grabbing the tiny light from in between them. "I'm going to get the hell out of the way. I'm not getting hit by something when they break through the cave wall."

"Good point," Keith said, using the wall beside him to pull himself up to his feet. Then he stumbled his way to Lance. They made their way to the tunnel opening together to wait as the grinding, whirring, and rumbling grew louder and louder.

.

vvVvv

.

With rescue close enough for Keith and Lance to hear the drilling, Allura knew it was time to leave castle control in the capable hands of Coran and Lieutenant Hadrian. Neither man said a word when she rose from her console. Coran raised the dais without being asked. Allura gave him an appreciative smile, and he simply nodded.

Allura arrived at the mine in record time. If not for Blue Lion, her arrival might have gone unnoticed among the rescuers, so intent were they on their work. Hunk was the only one who came to meet her as she slid down Blue's paw, reaching her just in time to catch her, though she didn't really need it.

"I figured you'd come as soon as Keith and Lance heard the Melchior drill," he said.

"I was listening on the way here," Allura said. "The drilling is getting louder." Hunk nodded, and they fell into step, headed for the entrance to the rescue tunnel.

"The miners are worried the drill could throw rock when it breaks through into the cavern where Lance and Keith are holed up," he told her. "Pidge is up on the ridge with two of the miners, using the Lyell sensor to see how much farther we have to go. The plan is to dig the last few feet the old fashioned way. Pickaxes, spikes, and hammers." Allura nodded, the two of them reaching the rescue tunnel's entrance.

"Nearly through," Pol reported, listening to his headset. He held up a two-way com unit to his mouth. "Cut the drill!" he shouted into it. A moment later the low rumble coming from the tunnel ceased. "Get the Melchior out of the tunnel," he ordered, then checked in with Pidge before turning to Hunk and the princess. "Pidge's team is on their way down from the ridge. Hunk," he said, pointing to a heavy looking tool, "Take that drill down the tunnel. You," Pol pointed to the princess without the slightest hesitation, "help me drag that tube in. You," he pointed to a miner near a big machine attached to the tube, "turn on the air pump when I give the go ahead." Pol picked up a huge coil of the tubing and started into the tunnel without another word. Allura looked to Hunk uncertainly, not sure what to make of the bossy man.

"That's Pol, and he knows you're the princess," Hunk said with a shrug, grabbing the drill and hefting it over his shoulder before heading into the rescue tunnel. "Just go with it. He knows his stuff, and he's basically running this rescue operation."

"All right," Allura agreed, picking up a big coil of the tubing. It was surprisingly lighter than it looked. She followed Pol and Hunk into the tunnel.

.

vvVvv

.

"It stopped," Lance said, his voice cutting through the sudden silence. "Why did the drilling stop?"

"I don't know," Keith said with a shake of his head Lance could barely make out in the dim light. "Could be anything." They didn't say anything for a long time, both straining to hear any sound to indicate the drilling would begin again. Nothing.

"You don't think they gave up, do you?" Lance asked.

"Not a chance," Keith said with absolute certainty.

"Well they better hurry up," Lance said irritably. "My head is pounding, I'm so dizzy I could vomit, and I don't think I can stay awake much longer."

"Shh!" Keith suddenly hissed. Lance fell silent. "Hear that?" Lance strained his ears.

"Yeah," Lance said after a moment. "What is it?"

"I think they're still digging," Keith said, letting out a relieved breath.

"Good," Lance said, equally relieved. "I was hoping I'd still be conscious so I could walk out of here. I think my chances just improved."

.

vvVvv

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"I'm through!" the miner with the hand drill shouted excitedly, pulling the drill from a hole big enough to fit a fist through. A cheer went up among those in the rescue tunnel, and it was echoed by those outside. Hunk and another miner backed away from where they'd been digging with pick axes. The miner with the hand drill moved in and started to drill again. This was the spot that would become the opening they would use to get Keith and Lance out.

"Air masks on everyone!" Pol shouted to those in the tunnel. Everyone obeyed immediately. "Get that tube in the hole," he ordered the princess. She complied, pushing the end of the air hose that had been providing the rescuers with fresh air through the small hole and into the cave where Keith and Lance waited, a measure meant to keep the situation inside the cave from deteriorating any further.  
The miner with the drill slowly put a few more holes in the rock wall, then stepped aside so the other two miners with the hand tools could chip out some rock. Then they went back to the drill before swapping out again. Hunk, Pidge, and Pol moved rock and debris out of the way. The minutes ticked by, an opening slowly forming.

"It's big enough I think I can squeeze through," Pidge announced, assessing the opening. One of the miners broke off another chunk of rock, widening the opening. "I think Princess can fit through now, too," Pidge observed.

"Back off," Pol told the miners. He nodded to Pidge and the princess. "Go in. And don't take off your air masks," he ordered. "We don't need any more victims to rescue." Pidge and Allura nodded.

"I'll go first," Pidge volunteered, sticking his hands through the waist high opening. He had to push some rock out of the way on the other side, but was able to pull himself through.

"You next, Princess," Hunk said, lifting her up off the ground, helping her into the opening, feet first. She had to wiggle a little, but she made it through to the other side.

As soon as she was clear of the opening, the miners resumed digging. Allura turned to Pidge who flicked on a flashlight and swept the beam of light around the cave. It was a surprisingly small space, they noted. Smaller than the control room, and the ceiling was much lower.

"You two sure are a sight for sore eyes," they heard over the noise of the digging. Pidge's light swung around to reveal Lance and Keith peering around a rock in an opening that must have been the original tunnel. "Keith said all along you'd dig us out."

"Lance! Keith!" Allura exclaimed. In seconds she and Pidge were across the small cave, and Allura was kneeling between them, hugging them both.

"We sure are glad to see you two," Keith said, welcoming the princess's half embrace.

"Careful! Careful!" Lance complained, though he was hugging her back. "I've got bruises, I'm dizzy, and if you don't stop jostling me, I'm going to vomit all over you."

"You do look a little green," Pidge agreed, taking a step back.

"Come on, Pidge," Allura said, getting back on her feet. "Let's get Lance and Keith over to the fresh air they're pumping in. I'm sure it'll help." Pidge nodded, and the two of them helped Lance to his feet.

"Whoa," Lance said, his face turning pale. "Is the cave spinning, or is it just me?"

"Please don't get sick on me," Allura pleaded. Lance managed a half smile.

"I'll try," he promised, "but no guarantees."

"Let's both help him, one on each side. That should keep him steady," Pidge suggested. Allura nodded, and they slowly made their way across the cave, supporting Lance between them. They lowered him to the cave floor right beside the air tube. Lance leaned back against the wall, beginning to draw in deep breaths. Pidge and Allura went back for Keith, and when the three of them reached Lance, Hunk was leaning in through the widened opening, a canteen in his hand.

"Water," Lance said, eyeing the canteen greedily. "Thanks, Hunk. Our water ran out hours ago." Then he fell silent as he chugged down half the canteen's contents while Pidge and Allura helped Keith sit against the wall beside him. Lance handed him the canteen, and Keith took a long drink. "I'm starting to feel better," Lance said. "Less dizzy. More awake."

"Good," Hunk said, relieved. "We'll get this hole a little bigger, then we'll get you out of here."

"Thanks big guy," Keith said, taking deep, even breaths as Hunk backed out of the hole. As soon as he was clear, the digging resumed.

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vvVvv

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Keith and Lance were able to walk out under their own power with a little help from their friends. They emerged from the rescue tunnel and into the last rays of the setting sun to cheers from the miners, both those that had been digging, and those who had been assigned to tasks above ground.

"All right, team," Keith said, looking around the darkening landscape, appreciating the view he wasn't sure he'd ever see again. "Let's get this place cleaned up and the miners back to Helena."

"Let us worry about clean up," Pol said with a shake of his head. "You should get to the castle, let that doctor check you both out."

"Pidge and I will make sure the miners and equipment get back to Helena tonight," Hunk added. Pidge nodded his agreement. "Come on. We'll walk you to your lions. The autopilot should get you back to the castle."

"All right," Keith agreed, sensing he wasn't getting a real choice in the matter. They thanked the miners and Pol again, saying their goodbyes, and headed out into the canyon toward Red Lion and Black Lion.

"It feels real good to be out in the open again," Lance said, throwing an arm around Allura's shoulders, giving her a squeeze. "I've never seen a more wonderful sight than you and Pidge crawling through that hole into the cave." Allura slipped an arm around his waist and squeezed back.

"And I've never heard a more wonderful sound than your voice telling us we weren't too late," Allura returned earnestly.

"I'll say," Pidge agreed from the other side of Lance.

"We're just grateful you didn't give us up for lost," Keith said.

"Never, Captain," Hunk said. "We'd never give up on you."

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vvVvv

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To Be Continued…

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	7. Chapter 7

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Running Out of Time

By: Sapphire

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Chapter Seven

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…...

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"We're back," Pidge announced as he and Hunk entered castle control.

"The miners and their equipment are back in Helena, safe and sound," Hunk added.

"Very good," Coran said with a tired sigh. "Princess, I believe official thanks are in order, both to the mining company and the kingdom of Helena."

"Yes, of course," Allura agreed. "It's too late now. I'll do so first thing in the morning."

"Excellent," Coran replied, satisfied that was in order.

"Anything from Doom?" Hunk asked. "The probe that caused all the trouble was theirs."

"No, nothing," Lieutenant Hadrian answered. "There's been nothing since a ship I reported to her highness earlier in the day."

"That's strange," Pidge commented. "I thought they'd be doing something by now."

"It's early, yet," Coran cautioned. "There could still be repercussions from Doom. We have no way of knowing when or where."

"That probe," Hunk said, "Zarkon and Lotor were after the ore, weren't they? I mean, there are still deposits of the ore. Huge deposits."

"I think it is safe to say you are correct," Coran said.

"Well, they found it," Pidge said. "That cave where Lance and Keith were, it was hollowed out of a really big deposit. In fact, Pol said that's the only reason they survived. The entire length of the original tunnel that was dug through the sand rock collapsed. Only the ore deposit was strong enough to resist collapse."

"I must admit, I'm very glad for that," Coran said. "As for the Doom probe finding the ore, it's of no consequence."

"But won't they come back for it?" Pidge was surprised by Coran's reaction.

"The forging process used to create the metal for the lions was lost to the ages. Unable to replicate it, the mine was abandoned long ago," Coran explained. "Even if Doom comes back and is able to obtain the ore, there is little they could use it for."

"Very true," Allura agreed. She sighed wearily.

"Where are Keith and Lance?" Hunk asked.

"I left them in med bay with Dr. Gorma," Allura replied.

"Why don't the three of you go down there and see how they're doing," Coran suggested. "Lieutenant Hadrian and I have things under control here. We will alert you if you're needed."

"Thanks Coran," Pidge said. "I think we will." He, Hunk, and Allura left castle control together.

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vvVvv

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"Hey!" Pidge exclaimed as they passed by the rec room on the way to med bay. "There they are!" Hunk and Allura peered into the room, and sure enough, Keith and Lance were lounging on the sectional inside.

"I thought you'd still be in med bay," Hunk said as the three of them stepped inside to join the other two.

"Dr. Gorma let us go after checking us over," Lance reported. "He told us to take some mild pain medicine and get some rest."

"That's it?" Pidge was surprised.

"Yup. That's it," Lance confirmed, sliding down to make room for the princess between himself and Keith. "He ran a bunch of tests. Heart function, brain activity… everything was normal. Just some bruises and a massive headache."

"We got lucky," Keith said.

"Yeah," Lance agreed. "Lucky you decided to come after us even though you had no way of knowing if we were still alive."

"Actually," Pidge said, looking between Lance and Keith, "we did know. Lance, your com unit was transmitting the whole time, but it was damaged and wasn't picking up our transmissions to you." There was silence as the implications dawned on both Lance and Keith.

"So you heard everything we said," Lance said, turning his gaze to Keith who was beginning to look a little green around the gills.

"Every word," Hunk confirmed with a nod. "Princess was in charge of monitoring your situation from castle control."

"Oh," Lance said, his gaze zeroing in on the blushing princess sitting beside him. No one said anything else as Hunk gave Pidge a gentle push toward the door, then took Lance's arm to pull him up from the sofa and steer him in the same direction. Lance didn't resist, and a minute later Allura and Keith found themselves sitting there alone. The silence between them was long and tense until Keith finally broke it.

"You heard all of it?" Keith asked, not quite able to meet her gaze.

"Yes," was her simple reply.

"So you know…?" Keith trailed off, still unable to look her in the eye.

"Everything," Allura finished for him. Keith looked away, keeping his gaze anywhere but on her. It didn't help. He ran a hand nervously through his hair, having no idea what to do or say. He felt restless, uncertain, completely out of his element. "Did you mean it?" Allura asked quietly, uncertainly. Keith made himself look up and meet her hesitant gaze.

"Yes," he admitted.

"Good," she said, to his surprise.

"Good?" he echoed, feeling a little stunned. She scooted closer to him on the sofa, turning so they were nearly facing one another, their knees touching.

"Yes, good," Allura repeated, leaning close. "It's good because I love you, too."

"You do?" Keith couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I love you," she said again, leaning closer still. Keith felt himself leaning in, too. "And Keith?" she said, so close he could feel her warm breath on his face.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not out of your league," she told him. He winced, hearing his own words repeated back to him, words that had never been meant for her ears. "I'm not," she insisted, slipping her hand in his. "Keith, you have the freedom to do anything, go anywhere, choose anyone, and I'm duty bound to stay here. I was worried you were out of my league."

"No," Keith said with a shake of his head before closing the distance and pressing his mouth to hers. He felt, rather than heard, her sigh as he slowly explored her lips with his. And when she decided it was her turn to explore, Keith let her, slipping an arm around her waist to pull her closer to his side. When gentle exploration was no longer enough, Keith lightly brushed his tongue against her lips. She responded, parting her lips, and Keith accepted the silent invitation.

Allura, a novice when it came to kissing, had eavesdropped on too many giggling, gossiping maids to be surprised when she felt Keith's tongue against hers. What surprised her was how quickly the warm attraction between them could flare into the heat of desire. Novice she may be, but ignorant she was not. She didn't resist when Keith pulled her onto his lap. As his arms closed around her, hers reached up, one arm circling his neck, her other hand slipping into his hair. She'd wondered what it felt like for so long she couldn't stop running her fingers through the soft locks now that she could.

Somewhere in the back of his thoughts Keith wondered if this was even real. But Allura was in his arms, and nothing else mattered at the moment. Except maybe kissing. Kissing mattered a whole hell of a lot. Until he caught himself before his hands wandered somewhere he wasn't sure they would be welcome. Then reality came crashing down on him. He'd completely forgotten they were in a public room where anyone could walk in on them at any moment. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him.

Allura let made a little hum of protest at the back of her throat when Keith pulled away. He wasn't deterred. He gently removed her arms from around his neck and moved her off his lap to sit beside him on the sofa once again.

"Keith?" she said, looking up at him with a lost and confused expression.

"It's okay," he assured her, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose. She giggled, the affectionate gesture putting her at ease. "We just need to slow down," he said before brushing another light kiss against her mouth. "We've never even been on a date."

"Then maybe we should," Allura said. "I've never been on a date before."

"Then we should definitely go on one," Keith replied, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her with him as he leaned back into the couch cushions. She cuddled up next to him, one arm across his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "Will Nanny and Coran let us?" Keith wondered.

"Didn't you listen to what Lance said?" Allura asked with a mischievous giggle. "When it comes to romance, the decisions are definitely, one hundred percent, absolutely up to me." Keith couldn't help but laugh.

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vvVvv

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"What did I tell you?" Lance whispered, his ear stuck against the door to the rec room. "They're laughing. That just proves I was right."

"No one was arguing with you," Hunk hissed, rolling his eyes, his ear also against the door.

"Of course they were kissing," Pidge added quietly, his ear against the door, too. "What else would they be doing?"

"If it were me in there, plenty," Lance whispered suggestively, making Pidge blush. "But this _is_ Keith we're talking about."

"Come on, let's go," Hunk whispered, finally stepping away from the door. "I think the show's over." Lance nodded, and he and Pidge backed away from the door, too, following Hunk as he led the way toward their quarters.

"Anyone feel the least bit guilty, listening to those two confess their love to one another?" Lance asked once they were far enough away from the rec room.

"No," Hunk and Pidge answered in unison. Lance chuckled.

"Me neither," he replied.

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vvVvv

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"What is it, Lotor?" Zarkon asked, watching his idiot son and the witch enter the throne room. "This had better be good."

"I've made an interesting discovery," Lotor said smugly. "One I think you will be very interested in knowing."

"I'm listening," Zarkon said wearily, "but I'm not expecting much. I've learned not to get my hopes up when things involve you." Lotor inwardly flinched at the barb, his anger spiking, but he kept it contained. This was too important to ruin with a fit of pique.

"I have had minions studying Arus for some time, assessing its value in resources," Lotor began. "We've just finished our latest analysis of data and completed a scan of the planet. We've found there are huge deposits of the ore used to forge Voltron."

"Ore?" Zarkon echoed, looking a bit stunned. Lotor decided that was a good sign and delved into his argument.

"With that ore, we could forge our own weapons," Lotor proposed, "Weapons that are the equal to Voltron. No, weapons superior to Voltron!"

"Lotor, you idiot!" Zarkon interrupted before Lotor could really get going. "Don't you know they had a special forging process to create the metals used in constructing Voltron? A process that was lost ages ago? Unless you also found the lost forging process, the ore is useless, which is why they stopped mining the stuff themselves."

"Forging process?" Lotor echoed, turning a burning glare on the witch. Haggar slowly backed away into the shadows and disappeared from sight, escaping his building wrath.

"Once again, Lotor, you prove to be a useless son," Zarkon scoffed.

"But Father, what if I could discover this lost forging process?" Lotor offered. Zarkon let out a peal of grating laughter.

"You may be useless, but at least you're good for an occasional laugh," Zarkon said. "Maybe I should make you my official court jester." His golden glare was suddenly leveled on Lotor. "Why," he asked, "did you waste my valuable time with this nonsense in the first place?"

"Princess Allura aside," Lotor answered, not bothering to lie because he knew Zarkon would see right through him, "I believe Arus to be very valuable to us in terms of resources. You said you intended to annihilate Arus."

"Ah that," Zarkon said as if it were of no consequence. "I changed my mind. I've spent a lot of time and money and soldiers trying to bring that errant planet to heel. I'm determined to conquer it, whatever it takes."

"Changed your mind?" Lotor echoed, incredulous.

"Yes. I'm the king. It's my prerogative," Zarkon said. "No go. Get out of my sight. I've had about as much of you as I can stomach today."

"Yes, Father," Lotor said, having no choice but to bow his way out of the throne room. The blow to his dignity hurt, but in the end it mattered little. Arus was spared. His _princess_ was spared. That's all that mattered in the end.

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vvVvv

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The End

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Final Note: For those of you curious, here is KittyShan's prompt I based this story on.

Fic idea #3 - DotU - Keith and Lance are injured/trapped Keith thinks one or both of them are going to die and admits his regrets about not telling Allura how he feels, talks about his feelings, etc., to Lance, unaware that Lance's comm is on the whole time and broadcasting everything to Castle Control - where Allura and Coran are listening. Of course, in the end, Lance and Keith are rescued...

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Lastly, here are the comments readers kindly left me on the gift exchange site. Thank-you all for granting me permission to include them here! ~Sapphrie

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I love it! And I almost feel sorry for poor Lotor... almost. Love Lance in this one! ~DesertVixen

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Loved it. I enjoy unusual takes on what happens with the team. Great job. ~Paulina Ann

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I love stories that involve the entire team! This was so wonderful! Well thought out, well written, that sweet and steamy KA scene made me teary eyed... And Keith's confession was done just right! Wonderful dialog, very true to the characters' varying personalities - I could hear their voices as I read each line. It was great! I loved it! Thank you for creating such a wonderful gift - I truly treasure it! ~Shan

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Very well written. The whole digging and rescue effort showed either knowledge or careful research. Loved Keith's confession and the passion and tenderness shared in the kissing scene. Well done! ~Sunshineleo

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I love that as much as this is a KA piece, it's really a team story. I really loved Keith and Lance's interaction, and of course, Keith and Allura uniting! Thanks so much for sharing! ~Neptune

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End file.
